Shoe calk assembly



p 1953 J. H. SHOEMAKER SHOE CALK ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 23, 1952 INVEN TOR.

JOHN H. SHOEMAKER BY ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE CALK ASSEMBLY John H. Shoemaker, Scappoose, Oreg. Application February 23, 1952, Serial No. 273,110

2 Claims.

"This invention relates in general to calks adapted to be mounted in" the soles of boots or shoes, particularly in the boots of loggers, sportsinen,-tc. v

More specifically this invention 7 relates to calked sole structure inwhich each calk is securely held in place in the outer sole of the boot or shoe through the-intermediary of a steel eyelet which is first clinched into the outer sole, the eyelets being made of special annealed steel and of-proper size to fit the lower ends of the calk perfectly, as hereinafter described.

Such eyelets comprise tubular metal members witl'r'a flanged bottom or outer end, the eyelets being driven through the leather or other material from which the outer sole of the shoe is made, and the inner'ends of the eyelets then spread or deformed so as to clinch the eyelet securely in the sole. As is well known, an eyelet, when thus mounted, will generally remain firmly secured in the sole during the entire life of the sole.

Various methods have been employed for securing the shanks of calks in eyelets, for example, having a press fit between calk shank and eyelet or cutting threads on the inner cylindrical wall of the eyelet and providing corresponding threads on the shank of the calk. In general, however, I have found these methods to be unsatisfactory,

either resulting in the calks working loose in the eyelets and being lost, or else involving too much labor and expense to be practical for the calking of boots and shoes for the ordinary trade.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved shoe calk assembly in which it will be practically impossible under ordinary circumstances for the inserted calk to become'loose from its eyelet.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shoe calk assembly of the type above indicated which can be manufactured inexpensively and will meet a popular demand.

A related object is to provide a shoe calk assembly which can be installed in place in ashoe sole without the employment of any means other than that now generally employed for installing ordinary calks, and an assembly in which the calk can'be installed withoutrequiring anyadditional laboror skill. r

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved shoe calk assembly which will comprise eyelets made of inexpensive and unhardened metal and calks which may be of any'specially hardened metal as desired.

These objects and incidental advantages I attain by making a calk of special construction and securing the same in a special manner in an eyelet, as hereinafter briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a shoe sole showing an eyelet mounted in the customary manner in the sole, the section being taken longitudinally through the center line of the eyelet;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of my improved calk drawn to the same scale as the eyelet of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, drawn to the same scale as Figs. 1 and 2, showing the calk of Fig. 2 in the process of being forcibly inserted in place in the eyelet of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding sectional elevation showing the calk entirely in place in the eyelet and in the shoe sole; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a shoe sole illustrating the calks and eyelets set in place in a portion of the sole.

- In Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 the reference character It! indicates the outer or main sole of the boot B (Fig. 5). In heavy shoe and boot construction it is generally customary to have a midsole which is usually of somewhat less thickness than the outer sole, and such a midsole is indicated at H inFigs. 1 and 4. In such cases the calks are mounted in the outer sole.

In'Fig. 1 an eyelet [2 of special type is shown secured in place in the usual manner in the sole Ill. The eyelets are formed with a main tubur lar or cylindrical portion having an annular outwardly-extending flange l3 at one end. The opposite end of the eyelet at first will be either straight or, as is more customary, slightly bent inwardly to aid in the driving of the eyelet through the sole or sole aperture; The eyeletting machines or'other mechanism employed for driving such eyelets into place also spread the inner or top end into 'an outwardly-extending flange I 4, or into a series of similar outwardly-extending prongs, which are then pressed down into the leather or sole material hile the outer flange I3 is pressed inwardly, thus, clinching the eyelet firmly in place. This is customary procedure and when the boot or shoe has a double sole, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4,,the eyelets will be secured in place in this manner generally before the sole is mounted. The secured eyelets l2 in the sole will have an internal diameter which is substantially uniform throughout except at the extreme outer and inner ends where the flanges l3 and H! are formed. I use an eyelet with an internal diameter of .185 of an inch in the carrying out of my invention.

The calk of the invention is shown most clearly in Fig. 2. It comprises a lower tapered portion 2|, which constitutes the spike portion or exposed portion of the calk when mounted, and an upper, slightly tapered portion l9 and IS. The upper portion constitutes the inserted or shank portion of the calk when mounted. The lower and upper portions, or the outer and inner portions, are separated by an annular shoulder or ridge 20 preferably formed with a pair of concave faces.

The lower, outer, or spike portion 2| of my improved calk terminates in a tip 222 whichmaybe either conical as shown or morerounded. if preferred. The upper, inner, or shank portion !9 and I6 of the calk is formed with a deep; annular. rounded groove H, the wall of which forms a sharp.- s-houlder i3; with the peripheral edge of the. part IS... The taper cf-the two parts. iE -and i6 is preferably the same. The upper or inner end of, thecalk terminates in. a flattened conical surface 15, which is of no particular importance or significance beyond being a convenient way of finishing, off. this.- end' of the calk in its manufacture.

In Fig. 2- I show, by way of illustration, the exact; diametrical size of the call: shank at the points indicated, it being understood that the calk of. this size isto. be used with the special size eyelet; previously. mentioned, namely an eyelet having an internal diameter of .185 of an inch. Thusit .willbe noted that the diameter of the top orinner end ofthe calk corresponds to the origi nal internal diameter of. the eyelet and that the diameter of.- the shoulder edge It is .285 of an inch or. approximately .02.- of an inch greater than the original internal diameter of the eyelet.

When thesole lil,.withthe eyelets mounted therein. at the points desired, is ready for the calks, the calks are forced or. driven into the respective, eyelets asshown in Figs. 3. and l. Inasmuch, as theshank. ofv the. calk, except for the extreme topend, is of larger diameter than the internal original diameter of theeyelet, and since the-metalofthe. eyelet isv softer thanthe metal of the calk, deforming of the inside wall of the eyeletwill occur, as a result of. the; calk shank being forced into theeyelet. This deforming of the. interior eyeletv wall will. cause some of, the metalof the eyelet to be pressed up. by the. shoulder. l8; and squeezedintdthe. groove l] with a resultthat when the. calk has been forced into thefinalposition shown in Fig. ea solid ring 23, integralwith the eyelet. wall, will fill thecalk groove. II; I have found that no matter how rapidly the, calkisforced into. the. eyelet. this forming of. asolidintegral ringin the wall oithe eyelet to correspond t.o.the .calk. groove will take place providedjthe engaging. parts .are relatively substantially offthesize indicated and relatively arranged asindicated. Theresult is. thatv the inserted or shankportion end oi thecalkisnot only held'snugly and tightly and witha pressed fit in the eyelet, but the internal ring.23.,in the eyelet also securely locks thecalktothe eyelet. ltiwill be evident that, with..the,calk.anchored in this manner in the eyelet, as illustrated in Fig. the calk'can not dropout of.'the.eyelet andcan not even work loose in the eyelet, and any external strain or stress sufficient to pull the calk from the eyelet, would result in pulling the eyelet from the sole. However, as is well known, the eyelet can not ordinarily be pulled from the sole unless the sole has deteriorated with use to the extent that it no longer provides proper anchorage for the eyelet, and under such condition the sole would at least require replacing.

Variation could be made in the exact shape as Well as in the-size of my improved call: without departin from the principle of my invention. Ihus the taper or shape of the spike or exposed portion 2-2;. could be varied, as well as its size, to suit diiierent conditions of use for which the calked bootsor shoes may be specifically designed, and it is, not, my intention to limit my invention otherwise than as set forth in the claims.

llclaim:

1. A shoe calk assembly comprising a tubular eyelet anchored in the shoe sole, said eyelet. having been originally formed with a substantially cylindrical inner wall, a calk. having a spike portion and a tapered shank portion, an annular grooveegrtending around saidshank portion intermediate its ends, the intersection of the wall of said groove and. the adjacent periphery of the larger diameter part of said shank portion forming a sharp shoulder, the diameter of the small end. of; said; shank portion being. substantially equal to the original diameter of saidinner wall of said eyelet, said shank portion of said calk positioned in said eyelet; and said inner Wall of said eyelet deformed to correspond to the contour of Said shank. portion with part of said eyelet wallnlling; said groove of said shank, whereby causin said call: to beiirmly heldby said eyelet;

2 A shoe calkv assembly comprising a tubular metal eyelet anchored in the shoe sole, an outwardly directed flange on said eyelet engaging the outer faceof. the sole, saideyelet having been originally formed with a substantially cylindrical inner: wall; 7 a call; of; harder metal :thansaid eyelet having; a spikeportion and atapered shank portion, an: annular rounded groove extending around said shank portion intermediate itsends, the intersection of the wall .ofsaid groove and the adjacent periphery of the larger diameter part of. said; shank portion forming. a sharp shoulder, thediameter of the small endof said shank portion beingsubstantially equal-to the original diameter of. saidinner wall of said eyelet, said shank. portion of. saidcalk positioned in said eyelet and said inner wall of said eyelet deformedlto correspond to. the contour: of said shank" portion with; part .ofsaid eyelet wall fillingsaid groove otsaid. shank, whereby. causing said calk togbe firmlyvheldhy said eyelet.

JOHN H. SHQEMAKER.

Great Britain .July 21', i884 

